This is the hardest thing for me to talk about cuz I don't want to think about it.
Mag was really awful to load.
Of course, I'm talking from my perspective of only ever having horses who self-loaded since 1999.
I had no idea.
I tried tapping with the whip but he went into Bellis mode - donkey mode. No movement except to escape.
All four hooves on the ramp, and still no way?
I trusted Gabi to help us.
30 minutes later ....no way. I'd already lost the skin on my hands and several layers from my knees as Mag dragged me backwards through the trailer.
The problem was probably the trailer, I think. A TINY European straight load with no room for contemplation, just sardine-yourself in, horse!
Tapping him had no effect. The good news - no striking or kicking against our rude measures.
Then we switched again, me taking the line forwards, her taking her own whip - a driving whip. She hit the heck out of him and yelled a good deal. He leaped into the trailer that instant, and then said, "OH CRAP I'M IN A TRAILER" and ran out again, where she cracked him again. Then in, then out, and then in, and then he finally gave up and the fact I was in there with him with some nice grain and as he ate it, she shut the ramp, but then our troubles continued.
We had moved the center divider over based on my suggestion that he might feel less trapped, but then when he was in, we couldn't get the thing back into its slot, and we couldn't shut the butt bar without it. And we couldn't tie him up before the butt bar was shut, as is the case with horses who are difficult. (I never ever had to even consider the order of tying vs shutting in. I'd been lucky.)
Oh wait. I forgot about the chest bar. The entire time I was trying to load my horse, I was in this tiny space with a chest bar at my back. I knew if Mag actually loaded, I'd have no space at all for my body and I'd be crushed. When I asked, she said, "You must SUDDENLY DUCK under that bar if your horse actually decides to come into the trailer."
WTH. Did you , have you ever heard of any such thing?
That's how I hit my head when we took Baasha on his last ride to the clinic, cuz I did not know where I was supposed go to as soon as the horse jumped in.
But Gabi whipped him in, and we were able to lock the door, but not before she yelled at me to ...um, what? I couldn't understand her, she was stressed, and I needed to somehow manipulate the metal center divider while Mag was still freaking out about being in a trailer.
I didn't know what to do, and she kept yelling, "PUSH PULL LEFT RIGHT" and I was full with adrenaline, but that did not help, I could not budge that divider that would keep my horse in.
So we switched and over and over she said for me to raise and lower the ramp, because the ramp itself was the element that let the divider join properly with the floor. I have lived through a lot of horse trailer crap, but NEVER because of my trailer's design!
I wanted to yell at her how much I hate her trailer, cuz she was so liberal with shouting at me.
But as soon as it went in the floor slot, she hugged me, and said, "We did it!"
I didn't want to hug anyone.
I was traumatized and my horse was only at the beginning of his trauma.
In her van she offered me a chocolate. I don't eat sugar but I nibbled it a bit.
And then after a slow gentle 30 minute journey, we arrived, and I'd never, ever seen anything like what we saw when we opened the trailer door.
Fortsetzung folgt...
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9 comments:
Oh no. This is sounding like some of my Bombay trailer incidents. When I sent him off to a trainer's stable, I had to pay her to come out and teach me how to train him to get into the trailer. She worked with him for two hours and gave up, because he was so stubborn and fearful. I had to work with him over a period of several days before I could transport him to the training facility. It was the training before the training. But I had the luxury of having my own trailer to practice with, and it's only problem was the wind blowing the doors shut, so I tied them. I can imagine your stress.
So here's a thought, based on the experience Jacqui had trying to bring Fiddle to all those years ago. In that case, it was very early morning, still dark, and pouring rain. Jacquie was crying because a). she had a brain tumor and would probably die in two weeks and b). she was giving away her horse.
Fee took one look at Jacquie standing in the trailer, crying and said "oh HELL no," and wouldn't get in, no way.
It took Jacquie ALL DAY. She finally went into the trailer (out of the rain) and turned her back so she could call the vet and ask for a sedative...and Fiddle walked right in.
We know that Fiddle "reads" body language. As soon as Jacquie stopped "telling" her to STAY OUT, she got in.
So my thought: were you "telling" Mag that the trailer was too small, too dangerous? He watches you for clues. You didn't want him to leap into you, so he didn't.
Make sense?
Also: can you work on trailer loading while you are boarded?
Aarene, Thank you for writing. What you might have forgotten is the state Mag was in when he arrived here. I'd never seen anything like it.
The trailer itself was shaking, after a 4 hour trip, and the horse was soaking wet nose to tail. I obviously was not involved in loading.
I know the breast bar was making me insecure, but I don't think that was Mag's problem, based on the traumatized state he arrived here in.
Aarene, but as you agreed with me, my worry over the breast bar was no help to him. I just don't know this history which obviously is something very bad.
I feel for you. I like Nuz have the luxury of a trailer. Made so much difference having all the time I needed to teach her. While she loaded when I bought her it did take a while. Im so glad you'd already shown him meeting a neighbor. Otherwise leaving us hanging...
Makes sense, then. But will you get a chance to practice while he's boarded? That would be SO worthwhile!
Also, maybe get Dom to weigh in? She's magic with trailer loading, maybe she can coach you long distance?
Maybe his life and every loading has been anything but good. You might be his first love he has experienced.
Agree with Aarenr re: contacting Dom for tips on handling a difficult to load horse! :) She is amazing.
I have indeed had to do the "chest bar duck" many, many times when training Lily and the previous horses to load in FL: the trailer I had access to was a straight load with a ramp, with both chest and butt bars. There are alternatives to having to do the duck, though: I would take the chest bar down depending on the horse's behavior (if they were being explosive) so I could get out of the way quickly. Otherwise I dealt with trying to be on the *other side* of the chest bar (chest bar up and between me and the horse) while holding the end of the lunge line. Other times I would duck under the center divider so I could still be close to the horse while still having the divider to act as a shield. My horses never ended up being as reactive as I expected them to be, so my safety measures weren't needed, but metal boxes + horses + people are not a good combination and I prefer to be safe than sorry. I also always wear a helmet when loading horses. Then and now, even with my two that now self-load.
I was terrified for you reading this. I'm glad you came out unscathed! You were very lucky.
NM, I was explaining to Gabi that here there are no natural disasters so horses don't ever need to be evacuated. However, going to the clinic makes trailer loading important, so ya, stress!
Camryn, I've got all the time in the world, just not that other thing you need.
Ellie, you know what's weird, his ad had a warning about his personality, I'd forgotten. It said he needs time to warm up to people. I find that odd cuz he's so friendly to everyone he meets! But you're right - the breeder and the dealer had way too many horses, and he was for sale for a very long time.
Saiph, thanks for that - later Gabi said it wasn't as bad as some horses - some of them are truly dangerous. But his terror, that's no good to witness. She kept saying, "It's amazing he never tried to kick us, with all the whipping." STUPID TRAILER DESIGN! OK my first also was similar but I took the chest bar down. For some reason Gabi did not want it down, she said he'd come too far in. I really doubt it, but what could I do, not my trailer.
I do not yet have a trailer to use, so I cannot do anything at the moment except try to extinguish the constant nagging worry that he'll need a trip to the clinic and won't make it.
I'm kind of annoyed that after that experience Gabi is not willing to help me simply by hooking up her van to her trailer. If I saw someone in desperate need of help and had the element they needed, I'd help!
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